Environment
Need some good news about the environment? The Optimist Daily is your go-to herald of positive environmental news, highlighting eco-friendly solutions and scientific progress around climate action, circularity, conservation, and more. Learn about everything eco in our Environment section.
China’s huge electric bus fleet is paying off, both socially and environmentally
Making transportation greener has been a central theme to today's Optimist Daily. We've had a story on cargo ships, another on planes, and now another about electric busses. According to research, electric buses alone will save an astounding 270,000 barrels of diesel demand in 2019 – every single Read More...
This robot could eventually rid the agricultural sector of pesticides
Nowadays, the adoption of automated robots is a common practice among many industries that seek to improve their effectiveness – from automated robots that are tightening the knots and bolts on cars to automated hoovers that clean your home. Now, in efforts to stop the use of pesticides, Read More...
Finally, a supermarket chain is letting people use their own reusable containers
Consumers can absolutely be a part of the solution when it comes to reducing waste. Canadian supermarket chain Metro realizes that, which is why they’re allowing customers to bring reusable containers from home to fill with meat, seafood, deli products, and prepared foods. Although it seems Read More...
You can help NASA by snapping photos of trees
NASA would like you to take a picture of a tree, please. The space agency’s ICESat-2 satellite estimates the height of trees from space, and NASA has created a new tool for citizen scientists that can help check those measurements from the ground. All it takes is a smartphone, the app, an Read More...
To save the Earth, science says we must keep half of all land in a natural state
To stabilize the climate and spare the planet from the consequences of runaway climate change, we must let nature play a bigger role in our conservation plans. According to a comprehensive new study, countries should double their protected zone to 30 percent of Earth’s land area, and add 20 Read More...
Nepalese army collects two tons of trash from Mt Everest in less than a week
Decades of commercial mountaineering have turned Mount Everest into the world's highest rubbish dump as an increasing number of big-spending climbers have paid little attention to the ugly footprint they leave behind. Fortunately, collective action once again proved its value. In a coordinated Read More...
Here’s why giant trash monsters are popping up in front of Nestle’s headquarters
There are lots of ways you can voice your disapproval of a company’s wasteful ways. You can write the company letters, lament them on social media, boycott their products—or you can put a 15-foot-tall monster made out of garbage in front of their headquarters. That’s exactly what Greenpeace Read More...
This nonprofit wants to save the oceans with “blue bonds” for coastal nations
Not all coastal nations feel inclined to spend money and time protecting the bodies of water that sit beside them, especially when there are other big issues to address such as improving infrastructure. That’s why global non-profit The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has announced a $1.6 billion plan to Read More...
New York City passes new law to curb food waste and feed the hungry
Although we’ve placed this fact in stories before, it remains a shock every time we type it: in America, an estimated 40 percent of all food ends up in the waste bin on an annual basis, according to the National Resources Defense Council. In New York City, this statistic is particularly alarming Read More...
The critically endangered kākāpō is making an incredible comeback
Meet the kākāpō, the nocturnal, flightless parrot known for its charismatic nature and owl-like face. It’s also known for being the world’s fattest parrot. A few hundred years ago the chubby parrot was one of New Zealand’s most common birds, but now there are only 147 adult kākāpō left Read More...